S: Ajit Singh

(Ajit Singh, Dara Singh and Ajit's cousin Tehal Singh Bhakar. Tehal Singh was also a renowned wrestler and well respected member of the Sikh community in Britain.

Derived from the Sanskrit word for lion, the name Singh was adopted as a title by Rajput warriors and decreed by Guru Gobind Sikh to be the name of all male Sikhs. Consequently there are millions of Sikhs in the world (one estimate we have seen is 36 million) and it is one of the most common names in Britain. They are not all wrestlers, but in the 1960s and 1970s there were enough wrestling Singhs to create a knotty problem for fans. We have the son of Ajit Singh to thank for helping us untangling the knot.

A popular Indian wrestler in southern England during the 1960s was the head butt specialist Ajit Singh Bhakar, known in the wrestling community as Ajit Singh. Ajit was a good friend, and training partner of Dara Singh, with whom he can be seen in the photograph standing on the right, with Dara Singh in the middle, and their trainer on the left hand side. The two men were friends for many years both in Britain and in India when Ajit returned to live in Mumbai.

The barefooted light heavyweight was born in Lahore, which was in India at the time, but became part of Pakistan following the partition of India. Ajit began amateur wrestling when he was nine years old, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. Ajit's father, Khazan Singh Bhakar, was an accomplished wrestler who travelled the world and lived in Britain from 1938-9, before returning home. He later moved to Singapore, where he was eventually joined by the rest of the family, his wife and five children including Ajit and Shemsher, who were both destined to wrestle professionally in Britain. The family travelled to Britain, in 1949, setting up home in Manchester. Khazan Singh Bhakar was to become a prominent member of the Sikh community, a founder member, and President, of the first Sikh temple in Manchester.

Once settled in Britain Ajit decided to pursue his interest in wrestling. There could have been fewer better places than Manchester with a thriving amateur and professional wrestling scene. Martin Conroy had been a wrestler for twenty years and began training the young Ajit and preparing him for the professional ring. That professional debut came in 1952; a winning debut against Rochdale's Dennis Keegan. Within a short time Ajit was wrestling around the country, often facing more experienced men like Danny Flynn Les Kellett and Arthur Beaumont.

Ajit made the first of his television appearances in April, 1957, when he lost to the considerably heavier Bill McDonald. Further televised contests against top men such as Steve Logan, Clay Thompson, Bert Royal, Ernie Riley, Ray Fury, Peter Rann and Jackie Pallo, were to follow up to 1970. Wins at the Royal Albert Hall over Alan Colbeck, Jean Morandi and Vic Coleman are testimony to the Ajit's standing.

Ajit trained his younger brother, Shem Singh, to wrestle and he too went on to become a popular 1960s wrestler.

From time to time he returned to India where he continued wrestling under the name Daljit Rao, (the name Ajit Singh already in use by a prominent wrestler).

Following his retirement from British rings Ajit returned to India and settled in Mumbai, where he promoted wrestling, took up acting and also opened his own fitness centre. The gymnasium was hugely successful and many of the top Bollywood stars were regular visitors.

Following a long illness Ajit Singh died in May, 2009.Derived from the Sanskrit word for lion, the name Singh was adopted as a title by Rajput warriors and decreed by Guru Gobind Sikh to be the name of all male Sikhs. Consequently there are millions of Sikhs in the world (one estimate we have seen is 36 million) and it is one of the most common names in Britain. They are not all wrestlers, but in the 1960s and 1970s there were enough wrestling Singhs to create a knotty problem for fans. We have the son of Ajit Singh to thank for helping us untangling the knot.

A popular Indian wrestler in southern England during the 1960s was the head butt specialist Ajit Singh Bhakar, known in the wrestling community as Ajit Singh. Ajit was a good friend, and training partner of Dara Singh, with whom he can be seen in the photograph standing on the right, with Dara Singh in the middle, and their trainer on the left hand side. The two men were friends for many years both in Britain and in India when Ajit returned to live in Mumbai.

The barefooted light heavyweight was born in Lahore, which was in India at the time, but became part of Pakistan following the partition of India. Ajit began amateur wrestling when he was nine years old, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. Ajit's father, Khazan Singh Bhakar, was an accomplished wrestler who travelled the world and lived in Britain from 1938-9, before returning home. He later moved to Singapore, where he was eventually joined by the rest of the family, his wife and five children including Ajit and Shemsher, who were both destined to wrestle professionally in Britain. The family travelled to Britain, in 1949, setting up home in Manchester. Khazan Singh Bhakar was to become a prominent member of the Sikh community, a founder member, and President, of the first Sikh temple in Manchester.

Once settled in Britain Ajit decided to pursue his interest in wrestling. There could have been fewer better places than Manchester with a thriving amateur and professional wrestling scene. Martin Conroy had been a wrestler for twenty years and began training the young Ajit and preparing him for the professional ring. That professional debut came in 1952; a winning debut against Rochdale's Dennis Keegan. Within a short time Ajit was wrestling around the country, often facing more experienced men like Danny Flynn Les Kellett and Arthur Beaumont.

Ajit made the first of his television appearances in April, 1957, when he lost to the considerably heavier Bill McDonald. Further televised contests against top men such as Steve Logan, Clay Thompson, Bert Royal, Ernie Riley, Ray Fury, Peter Rann and Jackie Pallo, were to follow up to 1970. Wins at the Royal Albert Hall over Alan Colbeck, Jean Morandi and Vic Coleman are testimony to the Ajit's standing.

Ajit trained his younger brother, Shem Singh, to wrestle and he too went on to become a popular 1960s wrestler.

From time to time he returned to India where he continued wrestling under the name Daljit Rao, (the name Ajit Singh already in use by a prominent wrestler).

Following his retirement from British rings Ajit returned to India and settled in Mumbai, where he promoted wrestling, took up acting and also opened his own fitness centre. The gymnasium was hugely successful and many of the top Bollywood stars were regular visitors.